


Revelations

by jncxo



Series: Changes [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Eve, F/M, Gratuitous mistletoe usage, Snogging, Unresolved Romantic Tension, post-Epilogue: 19 Years Later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 03:11:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9365231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jncxo/pseuds/jncxo
Summary: Teddy attemps to comfort Victoire, because it's Christmas, and she's his best friend, and they've always been there to comfort each other after break-ups, haven't they? Directly follows Christmas Magic, but can be read as a stand-alone.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Like Christmas Magic, which comes directly before this, I started this fic ages ago - the document creation date on my computer is the 25th of May, 2012, which is insane that I've held onto it for this long. I had roughly 1,000 words, and I rewrote most of those and took this in a slightly different direction. As it says in the summary, this can be read as a standalone, but directly follows my oneshot, Christmas Magic. Not Cursed Child-complaint.

Christmas Eve at the Burrow was slowly winding down, and at half-past midnight Arthur bade everyone a happy Christmas and he and Molly went to bed for the night, cheery on the sherry left out for Saint Nick. Ginny disappeared to the sitting room to take the Disillusionment charm off James, Albus, and Lily’s gifts and arrange them under the shabby Christmas tree by the mantle. Harry rose from his seat next to Teddy at the table and cracked his knuckles, yawning.

“Don’t stay up too late, Ted,” he said, patting the Lupin boy on the shoulder. “You know how early Lily likes to wake up, especially Christmas morning.” Teddy nodded, taking one of the remaining mince pies off the tray before him on the table. “And don’t stuff yourself full of mince pies,” Harry added, and Teddy could hear the smile in his voice as he left the kitchen and headed upstairs. 

Teddy had just shoved the treat into his mouth when Ginny turned the corner back into the kitchen, frowning.

“Warse ‘ong?” Teddy asked her around the mince pie, swallowing his mouthful with some effort.

Ginny took a deep breath, glancing back over her shoulder before whispering, “It’s Victoire. She’s… she’ll be okay, I think.” Ginny’s mouth was set in a thin line, and she shook her head. 

Teddy felt his shoulders tense. Somehow, he just _knew_ that tosser Kryder Nolan had done something to upset Victoire. Trying to keep his emotions in check (mainly because he knew they affected his metamorphosing without his control), he offered Ginny a terse nod. “I’ll pop my head in, in a bit, see how she’s doing,” he reassured, and Ginny’s lips twitched into a small smile. “Happy Christmas, Aunt Ginny.”

“Happy Christmas,” she returned, and paused. “You mean the world to her, you know,” she commented as she backed out of the room and heading upstairs to bed. Teddy exhaled deeply, running a hand through his festive cherry-red hair, and hefted himself out of the kitchen chair. Teddy was built like his father, long and lean, but the countless mince pies he’d consumed that evening sat like a rock in his stomach.

Things between him and Victoire were, in a word, complicated. He’d kissed her on Platform 9 ¾ as he saw her off to Hogwarts at the beginning of her school year, in some kind of fit of madness. She’d been his best friend since the two were in diapers, and he’d always seen her as a little sister, until she wasn’t, and he’d thought maybe there were feelings, until there weren’t. They’d remained friends, but this was Vic’s first year at Hogwarts without him. The stretch between September and December had been the longest he’d gone without speaking to her since she’d learned to speak in the first place. Based on the owls she’d sent, he knew she was seeing someone – a bloke in his seventh year, a quidditch player, a guy, in Ted’s frank opinion, who was no good for her, but he’d remained supportive, because that’s what friends do, right? Teddy had vowed he’d give Nolan the benefit of the doubt, until he proved he couldn’t treat Victoire right. Of which, Ted realized as he entered the sitting room and was met with a teary-eyed Victoire, the git seemed to be doing a superb job.

When Victoire realized Teddy had come into the room, she ducked her head quickly, her face turning red, and looked for all the world as if she wished the shabby loveseat would swallow her whole. Things between the two had been slightly awkward initially when she’d returned home from school for holiday break, but nowhere near this embarrassing; it _had_ to be Nolan. Teddy gritted his teeth and went to her side, dropping down next to her on the settee. 

There was a lengthy silence before Victoire finally sniffled and, in a small voice, said, “Teddy? Am I… am I quite unlikeable?”

“You?” Teddy asked, taken aback. “What are you on about?”

Victoire’s gaze was in her lap, where she was wringing her hands. “I just…” She exhaled deeply. “I dunno…”

Teddy felt a little irritated by Victoire in that moment; she was one of his best friends, after all, despite everything, and they knew each other so well, but bloody hell, why was it that she and every other girl on the planet couldn’t come right out with what they were feeling, and thought tip-toeing around the problem was going to solve it any faster? Of course, he couldn’t start off by barking at her. “Just tell me,” he settled on, making a great effort to keep his voice gentle.

Victoire looked up to meet his gaze, eyes guilty. If she knew one thing about Teddy, it was that he wouldn’t put up with her making half statements. “Kryder owled me,” she finally said, exhaling slowly. “He said he’s done some thinking this break, he said being away from me helped clear his head a bit. He thinks he’d rather like to spend his last term at Hogwarts single.” There was a pause, and fresh tears spilled from Victoire’s eyes. “He dumped me by _owl_!” she blubbered, voice slightly muffled as her hands flew up to cover her eyes. “How pathetic does that make me?”

Teddy exhaled slowly through his lips. “Not at all,” he said softly, reaching over and putting an arm around her, pulling her against his side. “In fact, it makes him sound like a right git.”

“But he’s not!” Victoire insisted, dropping her hands. She didn’t meet Teddy’s eyes, still self-conscious about her tears – as though Teddy hadn’t seen her upset about a boy before? After their kiss on the platform, everything felt different, unsure. She blinked a few times to clear the tears from her eyelashes and ploughed on. “He said he wants to be freed up for the new year, because he may meet someone, and he wants to have options. I just… I don’t understand what makes me not an option.” Victoire’s voice broke on the last word, and she bit her lip.

Ted cleared his throat; something about the situation felt so eerily familiar, but throwing Victoire’s rejection back at her was in such poor taste. He couldn’t bear to do it. “Don’t say that,” he told her firmly. “It’s rubbish and you know it.”

“But…” Victoire wrung her fingers together, still not looking at Teddy. “It must be true, otherwise why would he say so?”

“Because he’s a git,” Teddy repeated. “Now, come on. Did you _really_ see you two lasting, anyway?”

Victoire’s head snapped up and she set Teddy with an icy look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Teddy knew how ferocious Victoire’s temper could be, but he couldn’t stop his retort. “What I said. Did you see him waiting for you, while you finished school? You’ve always talked about wanting to travel, maybe go study with your Uncle Charlie, see something of the world. And what’s his goal? To have you staying home and playing housewife while he half-asses some lower-level ministry job, expecting dinner made and a foot massage in front of the fire at the end of the day? Is that your idea of a good life?”

To Teddy’s surprise, Victoire didn’t have the snapping response he’d expected to receive. Her face fell slightly, and she looked down into her lap. 

“Vic…” He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Victoire had been doing this since she’d discovered boys existed, let them fight for her attention because of her looks – she was great-granddaughter of a Veela, and Merlin’s sake, did the boys at Hogwarts take notice – and she always let herself get swept up in some torturous, dramatic teenage romance, and forget herself in favour of her flavour of the week. “You’re beautiful, of course, but you’re not just some kind of, of, _trophy_. You deserve so much more than that, Victoire, and I don’t think Nolan is capable of treating you the way he should.” The words came out before Teddy even realized he was saying them, and he felt his face turn as red as his hair.

“He was never bad to me, if that’s what you’re implying.” Victoire’s voice was small. “He was attentive, and he didn’t, there weren’t other girls – ”

“Don’t be daft, Vic,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair, mussing it up. He cleared his throat. “Look, I just think you need to take a breather. It’s time to weigh the pros of this, you know? You’ve got almost two years ahead of you at Hogwarts yet, and you shouldn’t spend them pining over these tactless blokes who can’t be with a fine girl for more than a couple months without feeling smothered.”

Victoire’s features soured. “What is it you’re trying to imply? That I’m some kind of… that I’m a tart, that I jump on every boy I see and smother him?”

Teddy jumped up and stood before Victoire, tugging at his hair. “Merlin’s sake, Victoire, will you just listen to me for two seconds? You’re a really fit girl and any guy would be lucky for you to even glance their way, okay? You need to just get over this bloke! He’s more than proved he’s a complete tosspot. I wouldn’t be a good friend if I acted like I thought you should be with him when he’s making you feel down on yourself over his stupid problems.”

Victoire was silent for a moment before finally looking up and meeting his eyes. There was hesitation in her gaze. “Why’re you saying all this?”

Teddy knelt down before her. His voice was soft when he spoke. “Vic… You’ve been my best mate since you were born. I just want what’s best for you. This guy is obviously bad news. It’s my job to set you straight.”

“Your job?” she asked, arms crossing stubbornly. “Set me… set me straight, is it? As what, my friend?" 

“That is _literally_ what I just said,” he replied exasperatedly, running a hand wearily over his face.”

“Edward Lupin,” Victoire said slowly, the corners of her lips turning up in a mocking sort of half-smile, despite the stern arch of her eyebrows. “You’re _jealous_! That’s what this is. You’re mad because I picked him instead of you, and now you’re acting all self righteous and congratulatory because he doesn’t want to be with me anymore –”

“I swear, if you don’t shut it,” Ted began to protest, and despite Victoire’s triumphant smile, he could see tears re-forming in her eyes.

“– because you feel _validated_ , isn’t that grand?” she continued, her voice raising an octave. “You think that just because the _almighty power_ of your _snogging_ didn’t make me fall madly in love with you, that this somehow makes it all okay how grumpy you got, all because I didn’t return your schoolgirl crush? I have news for _you_ , Ted Lupin,” she snapped, poking him in the chest, “you’re no better than I am, are you, and this is exactly why we wouldn’t work!”

“What are you on about?” Ted sputtered, and Victoire laughed bitterly in his face.

“I’ve watched girls fawn over you for years, have had to pass the message on of which of my housemates fancy you, while you change your hair and your face and charm the pants off them, dates in Hogsmeade, tagalongs to breakfast, to studying under our tree – that’s right, _we_ have a tree, for us and then sometimes for your own flavour of the week too – but I’m always supportive! I’m always there to hear about it, giving you advice and ideas and your shoulder to cry on! Because I’m just your best mate, right, like a little sister, nothing for them to worry about! That’s what we did, for each other, because that’s what best friends do, and it was okay, it was fine. And then suddenly you kiss me, and I’m supposed to magically forget the past sixteen years of being your pal, your shadow, being everything and nothing to you all at once? No, sod that,” she said, wiping her angry tears. 

Ted fell back onto his haunches, stunned into silence. For all that he thought he and Victoire were honest with each other, it seemed their relationship had suffered greatly due to severe miscommunication. “I guess I just… I never thought –”

“Don’t try to, to explain yourself,” Victoire interrupted with a bitter chuckle. “I suppose we’re both guilty of seeing other people – near _constantly_ seeing other people, as if that’s some kind of crime, or excuse. I just, you tell me not to let blokes I date define me and yet all you’ve done in your life was call me ‘baby sister,’ and so that’s all I was, until one day you’re snogging me on the platform, and…” Victoire trailed off, shaking her head, and Ted noted the tinge of pink that spread across her cheeks. “I think it was something I wanted for so long, and then it happened, but – " 

“But my snogging put you off, is that it?”

Victoire’s eyes flashed up to meet his, wide with surprise, and she visibly relaxed at the smile tugging at the corner of Ted’s lips. “We’ve always said we could tell each other anything, Vic, and I don’t think either of us planned to be liars, yeah? I’m… I’m sorry. For putting you in that position. I had no idea." 

“And I – how could you, when I didn’t tell you,” she stammered in reply. She sighed deeply and wiped at her eyes. The only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire and soft sniffles as Victoire settled herself after her outburst. “We’ve made a mess of it, haven’t we?” 

“Truly, we have,” Ted replied, shaking his head and chuckling almost bitterly. “Wish we’d have had this talk, ages ago. When I… when I kissed you.”

“Probably should have been sooner.”

“Yeah.” 

“Tosser.” Victoire reached out a hand and mussed Ted’s hair affectionately, and he grinned in response. “Not that this hasn’t been wonderful and, erm, refreshing, but I really ought to get to sleep. We could… We could talk more about this tomorrow, maybe?”

“Of course,” Teddy responded instantly. “End on this good note. My Christmas gift to you is aces and I’d hate to have to keep it from you because you’re cross with me.”

That got a laugh out of Victoire, and, shaking her head, she braced a hand on his shoulder to rise from the settee. Her fingers tightened on his shoulder in a reassuring squeeze. “We certainly can’t have that, can we?” she mumbled as she crossed the room towards the hallway. She yelped suddenly, stumbling on the carpet, and Ted fell from his crouch onto his arse in his haste to turn and see what was the matter.

“I’m caught!” she squealed rather hotly, jerking her head; Ted noticed a few thick strands of her long, silvery hair tangled in a seemingly innocent low-hanging bunch of mistletoe near the archway. Ted felt his cheeks grow warm at the sight.

“Since when has this been here?” he choked out, scrambling to his feet.

“I hadn’t seen it all day,” she squeaked in reply as she reached above her head to fiddle with the strands of her hair.

“It looks like it’s growing,” Teddy said in surprise, watching as the tiny green vines appeared to braid themselves through her blonde locks. Victoire shook her head, wincing as the action jerked her head. This little prank had James, Albus, and Fred written all over it, and he told her so.

“They need to learn to keep their little jokes _in_ Uncle Fred’s shop,” she groused, mussing helplessly with the trick plant. Ted approached her hesitantly; she paused in her fiddling to raise an eyebrow at him, and he raised his hands toward her, asking silent permission. “Oh, go on, have a go. You may not be a Weasley, but you still have the trickster gene in your blood.”

Smirking, Teddy reached above her head and began to work his fingertips through the long strands of her hair, attempting to untangle it from the pesky green leaves. Victoire seemed to freeze up at Teddy’s close proximity; her breathing was shallow, and her body was practically vibrating with nerves. “Try and relax, Vic,” Teddy muttered, taking absolute care to be gentle.

After a few moments of fiddling, Ted sighed in defeat. Victoire’s eyes rose to meet his, her cheeks pink. “You may need to, erm, use your wand?” she suggested lamely.

“Oh, I’m sure that won’t work either,” Ted replied, shaking his head. “Knowing James…” He paused, then, looking deep in thought, and then he sighed, screwing his eyes shut.

“What?” Victoire asked, and Ted opened his eyes slowly and let his gaze drop very obviously from the mistletoe above them to Victoire’s lips. “Oh,” she breathed, her blush deepening. “Knowing James,” she agreed after a brief moment, her voice soft, “there’d only be one way out of this little predicament.”

Teddy swallowed, his eyes darting between her eyes and her lips, wishing he could think of anything but the fleeting memory of their farewell on the platform – had that really just been a few months ago? He’d acted rashly, selfishly, and made a real mess of things. He wasn’t sure whether it was worth the risk to do this again, when they’d just had such a good chat and gotten their feelings out in the open – 

“I appreciate the thought I can see you’re putting into this, really,” Victoire said, bringing Ted back to the present, “but this is starting to hurt.”

“Right,” Ted recovered quickly, blinking, “right, _sorry_.”

“It’s okay,” Vic replied, reassuring. “And I won’t get upset, or cry this time, I promise,” she added with a self-deprecating smile. “Just… just get on with it.”

Ted leaned forward, closing the gap between them, and watched Victoire’s eyes drift closed as he pressed his lips to hers, gently at first, then a more firm press. The hand still tangled in her hair spasmed slightly, and he noted the feel of the mistletoe retreating from the locks wrapped around his fingers for a brief second before Victoire’s arm wound itself around his neck, her other hand fisted his sweater, and he felt her tugging him down to kiss her properly, her lips becoming insistent against his.

“Vic…” he mumbled against her lips as her hands roved over his shoulders; the hand not tangled in her hair fell to her hip, and she immediately seized it, squeezing his grasp so that his fingers dug into her upper thigh.

“Tell me you don’t want this,” she breathed against his lips, pausing every few words to peck his upper lip softly. “Say the word… I’ll stop." 

Ted groaned audibly against Victoire’s lips and he backed her into the wall in stumbling steps, bracketing her in by the doorframe with his forearms. “I bloody well love you, you know,” he said exasperatedly, and Victoire grinned wildly before tugging his mouth back to her; he felt her tongue sweep against the seam of his lips, and he parted them slightly, and neither of them said anything for a long while.

Some time later, Victoire tiptoed up the rickety stairs to the room she was to share with Dominique, grinning like mad. Ted watched her go, an affectionate smile spread across his face, before ducking into Fred and George’s old room, where he was staying with James and Albus. The eldest of the Potters was propped up in bed, reading by the light of a single candle. He smirked at the sight of Teddy’s mussed, fuchsia hair.

“How is Victoire?” James asked oh-so innocently overtop the pages of his book.

“You,” Ted hissed, careful to not wake the sleeping Albus in the bed by the window, and pointed accusingly at James, who shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know where you got that prank mistletoe, but Vic was not amused. We very nearly had to cut her hair off.”

“Yes, that looks like how you solved it,” James replied with a snicker, and Ted set him with a stern look. “You said it yourself, after all,” he continued, shrugging again and going back to his book, “I shouldn’t pretend I’m too old for Christmas magic. I didn’t want to ruin it for anyone else.”


End file.
